Lorn – Ask the Dust

After touring with the psychedelic likes of Gonjasufi, Amon Tobin and Shpongle, a more human and emotionally expressive element has burrowed its way into Lorn's sound since 2010's Nothing Else. Nowhere is this more evident than in his cryptic, breathy vocals, which manage to splice his now idiosyncratic, brutally infectious beats with anguished beauty. Where his previous album sounded exactly like a dry collection of discrete demo takes, Ask The Dust is an integrated statement of intent from start to end.

 

Though eerie bass and metallic chunks of rolling percussive hits pin the listener into techno submission, it is the hauntingly elegant and eastern-influenced melodies that Lorn has given his special attention. With this extra focus, he has tied the whole album together with a persistently probing, dramatic edge that neatly complements the harshness of the stuttering percussion throughout.